Bulgaria lies in the eastern Balkans, in
south-eastern Europe. It had 8.61 million inhabitants (mid -
1996) and covers an area of 110,993 sq. km. The population
density is 201 inhabitants per sq. mi., and 68.11% of the
population is urban 1. The official language is
Bulgarian, a member of the Slavonic group, written in the
Cyrillic alphabet. Minority languages include Turkish and
Macedonian. Most Christians adhere to the Bulgarian Orthodox
Church, and there is a substantional Muslim minority. There are,
also, more than 25 officially recognized religious groups,
representing a broad spectrum of faiths.

1. GENERAL DIRECTIONS OF CULTURAL POLICY

Bulgaria was caught in the great political
changes and transition which swept the countries of the former
eastern block in Europe in 1989. Political changes and the
process of transition away from the communist regime started in
Bulgaria in November 1989. The parliamentary elections of 1991
furthered the transition towards democracy. Bulgaria shares most
of the problems of the other European countries now in transition
towards a post-totalitarian society.

The Bulgarian culture, like the country's whole
political and economic system, is also in a state of transition
to democracy. Radical changes in the field of culture are taking
place against the background of economic difficulties. The main
problem of the Bulgarian culture and cultural policy is the
survival of culture itself in the conditions of a general crisis.
One of the aims of the new cultural policy is the integration of
Bulgarian culture into the European cultural processes and the
preservation of its national identity.

Although cultural planning and management have
for the most part been rid of the ideological and totalitarian
ideas of the former period, free initiative and enterprise have
not yet been fully installed. The lack of management personnel is
also felt.

2. ADMINISTRATIVE AND INSTITUTIONAL STRUCTURES

2.1 Public and semi-public bodies

In 1993, the Ministry of Culture and the
Ministry of Education and Science were merged. However, now the
highest authority for cultural policy is the Bulgarian Ministry
of Culture, which soon became a separate ministry again. There
are several relatively independent cultural institutions in the
structure of the ministry - the National Book Centre, the
National Museum Centre, the National Film Centre, the National
Centre for Cultural Heritage, the National Theatre Centre, the
Centre for Music and Libraries, and the Community Centres
Department. All of them receive fund allocations from the central
ministerial budget. Regarding academic research in the field of
culture, the Institute of Culturology, which is associated to the
Ministry, is an important institution. Advisory bodies have been
set up for assisting in decision making, covering the most
important areas: cultural heritage, theatre, book publishing,
music, and all questions concerning the privatization of cultural
institutions.

On a local level, cultural policy is
implemented by the local self-government bodies which are
responsible for the territorial decentralization.

At municipal level, the cultural department are
responsible for administrative and financial issues. Municipal
cultural life is the direct responsibility of the municipalities.
Depending on the size of the municipality, these departments are
devoted either only to culture, or may combine culture,
education, science and religion.

All structures and institutions are now in the
process of decentralization and democratization.

2.2 Facilities and institutions

N/A

3. INSTRUMENTS OF CULTURAL POLICY

3.1 Financing of cultural activities

Public expenses continue to be the main and
leading source for the funding of culture: in 1995, 1.37 percent
of total budget expenditure. The decentralization in the funding
of culture has not changed after 1989.

Share of expenses for culture in the total
expenses of the consolidated budget and the gross domestic
product:
/in mill. leva/

CULTURE

1988

1990

1992

1995

Expenses for
culture in the consolidated budget

491

497

1655

5164

% of the
gross domestic product

1.28

1.09

0.85

0.58

% of total
expenses of the consolidated budget

2.15

1.84

1.79

1.37

Source: Based on materials of the Ministry
of Finance

The funds for the municipalities come in part
from the State budget, but they also have their own financial
resources. Regional cultural development should receive more
support, as opposed to the centralized cultural administration.

Participation of the state (Ministry of
Culture, the municipalitiesand other state institutions)
and households in the funding of cultural institutions in 1993:

Total revenues

From the Ministry of Culture

From the municipalities

From households

Other

Theater

324 915

146 391

117 473

24 330

36 721

Opera

106 902

85 286

-

4 727

16 889

Museums

197 321

25 828

132 719

4 513

34 261

Libraries

355 845

24 410

301 195

6 504

23 736

Art galleries

30 018

10 885

5 799

217

2 232

Source: Ministry of Finance

Of the numerous State awards, only the order of
St. Kirill and St. Methodins is still awarded by the Ministry of
Cultural Affairs to important artists and cultural figures,
Bulgarian tax law envisions various forms of support in the
cultural area.

3.2 Legislation

The first change in the Bulgarian Constitution,
abolishing the monopoly of power of the Communist Party, was made
in 1990. The new Constitution, guaranteeing fundamental freedoms,
was adopted by the Bulgarian Parliament in 1991. The cultural
life is governed by the laws also voted by the Parliament, which
contains a Culture Committee and a Broadcast/Television
Committee.

In 1993, the Parliament adopted a new law of
the Copyrights as well as the Neighbouring Rights Act, modifying
the 1951 Copyright Law. The new law forbids the sale or lease of
audio or video cassettes or records without the author's written
permission. The main aim of the law is to put a stop to piracy.
The effectiveness of the new law may be judged by the fact that
300 private record producers and 50 video distributors have
signed contracts for the distribution rights. The Copyrights
department created in 1994 as part of the Ministry of Culture
received a 'legacy' numerous responsibilities, as well as
problems awaiting resolution. Within a short space of time,
measures envisaged in the Copyrights and Neighbouring Rights Act
were undertaken leading to some hundreds of penal acts issued
with regard to the perpetrators. Bulgarian state institutions
have undertaken considerable legal and legislative measures in
this sphere over the last few years, committing themselves to
international documents and agreements envisaging the practical
implementation with regard, and in keeping with the exsisting
legal regime. Decree no. 19/1991 of the Council of Ministers
empowers the authors to seek their rights directly, without going
through a state agency JUSAUTOR.

A new law on museums and the protection of
cultural heritage was accepted in 1995. The regulations in force
are gradually being adapted to those of Western Europe. They are
part of the process of economic reform, a transition to market
economy.

4. SECTORIAL POLICIES

4.1 Cultural heritage

Museums and Galleries

At the moment, 226 state museums and galleries
exist in Bulgaria, out of which 31 are in Sofia. Their structure
as to number, kind and capacity (number of exhibits, visitors and
staff) is given in the Following Tables:

Table: Number of Museums and Galleries in
Bulgaria

Number
and kind

1985

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

Total

206

212

223

221

222

226

Museums

-

174

179

176

172

176

of General
History

41

47

49

49

50

53

Commemorative

55

53

47

47

47

47

Specialized

72

74

83

80

75

83

Galleries

-

38

44

45

50

43

Source: National Statistics Institute

Table: Exhibits and Visitors of the Museums
and Galleries in Bulgaria
(in thousand of levs)

1985

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

Exhibits

total

4974

4924

5342

5389

museums

4838

4801

5217

galleries

135

123

125

Visitors

total

15712

3219

3156

3435

3775

4314

museums

2535

2483

2680

2994

3156

galleries

684

673

754

780

1157

Source: NCMGFA, NSI

During 1991, about one hundred new art
galleries opened in the capital, Sofia. Artistic activity used to
be strictly regulated during the previous regime, and the status
of an artist in Bulgarian society was assured by the commissions,
sales and handling of artwork by the state. The (at that time)
Ministry of Education, Science and Culture and the Union of
Bulgarian Artists used to organize exhibitions. The market for
works of art, started to take shape in 1991, although there are
still no mechanisms to regulate supply and demand. As a reaction
to the removal of state-enforced norms, a proliferation of new
galleries must be seen as a spontaneous activity. Private
galleries have become communication centres, where artists and
their works reach the buyers, patrons and collectors.

4.2 Cultural education and training

Artistic education

There is a well organized system of artistic
education in Bulgaria, with 4 higher education institutions
(State Academy of Music, National Academy of Arts, National
Academy of Theatre and Film Arts, Academy of Musical and Dance
Arts), 19 secondary specialized schools in arts ( 7 schools of
music, 2 schools of folklore, 1 school of choreography, 2 schools
of fine arts, 5 schools of applied arts, 1 school of industrial
design, 1 school of scenography and stage lighting).

According to 1992 statistics, Bulgaria has
fairly large numbers of artists in different fields: 438 writers,
746 cinema workers, 2,400 professional musicians, 500 dancers
(ballet and folk style), 2,500 actors and stage directors, 4,200
architects, 336 translators of science fiction. Some of the
artists are employed full-time, but there is tendency for more
people to work as freelance artists.

All of these institutions suffer from
inadequate funding and lack of proper facilities, additionally
aggravated by the law of restitution.

4.3 Performing arts

Theatres

Until 1989 in Bulgaria there were no private
theatrical institutions. At the end of 1992 there were 7
operating private theaters with a total of 544 seats, 500
performances per year, attended by a total of 53,592
theatergoers. In 1995 the number of private theaters increased to
10. These theatrical formations, which differ significantly from
the state-run theaters, are often set up for the purposes of
particular theatrical projects, the troupes have no permanent
members, and they are very mobile, performing on different
stages.

The number of performances per year of the
dramatic theaters, after the drastic decline in 1991 (by 38.8% as
compared with 1985), has been showing a stable trend of gradual
increase. A similar conclusion can be drawn for the number of
tickets sold (level of theatergors' attendance), with decreased
by 2,7 times in 1991 as compared with 1985, although this
indicator has also been characterised by a trend of slight
increase during the last years.

The data referring to the number of
performences made are more optimistic as it has been increasing
since 1991. The number of performances made in 1994 increased 16%
as compared with 1991.

Table: Number of theaters and the capacity
of theaters in Bulgaria
/dramatic and puppet theaters/

The need for a new legislative framework for
Bulgarian libraries arises from the evolution of a democratic
society and information growth. Amid social change libraries have
to attain and maintain the status of modern information and
cultural centres. To be satisfactory, legislation has to provide
conditions for liberalisation and the encouragement of economic
independence and enterprise, as well as financial backing for
libraries. It must also direct efforts at integrating their
resources in a national libraries fund.

Introducing modern information management and
equipment into libraries is a basic condition for realising both
their consumer potential to the maximum, and for integrating
their resources into the worldwide information exchange.

The Ministry of Culture is collating a national
libraries register, to include all libraries with over 4000
titles. National management falls to the Ministry of
Culture through the Libraries Office of the NCQBLTRK. This is
assisted methodologically by the National Library.

Table: Number, holdings and dynamics of
Bulgarian libraries

1985

1991

1992

1993

1994

Number
of libraries

total

9800

8854

8587

8367

8166

metropolitan

636

597

579

urban

4500

3890

3697

3516

3403

rural

5300

4964

4890

4851

4763

Readers
(th.)

total

3426

2437

2297

2178

2140

metropolitan

343

315

324

urban

2431

1733

1633

1536

1526

rural

995

704

664

642

614

Volumes
(th.)

total

113,963

118,567

118,112

100,558

100,370

metropolitan

43,919

27,112

27,658

urban

89,799

93,465

92,951

75,556

75,552

rural

24,164

25,102

25,161

25,002

24,818

Lending
(th. of volumes)

total

54,481

40,259

37,174

37,027

38,235

metropolitan

7336

6786

6904

urban

41,942

31,153

28,199

28,030

29,159

rural

12,539

9106

8975

8997

9076

Staff

6844

6723

6646

6567

Source: NSI

N.B. 1. Metropolitan data is included in urban
data. 2. Staff numbers include only full-time librarians. Total library staff is 9196.

Figures show a drop in library numbers from
9800 in 1985 to 8166 in 1994. Being due in most cases to closures
of unviable libraries with low stocks and equipment and poorly
trained staff, this does not give cause for undue concern. An
analysis of libraries shows 41% with under 4000 titles and thus
falling into this very group. 32% of libraries have between 4000
and 10,000 titles and therefore offer a baseline service. The
remaining c26% are the country's mainstream libraries with
prospects for further development. However, some closures of
specialist scientific libraries with big collections and
qualified librarians have adversely affected the national library
service.

The 1985 to 1994 period has also seen a drop in
readers and lending.

4.6 Music

N/A

5. CULTURAL INDUSTRIES

5.1 Book publishing

After 1989 book publishing underwent
fundamental changes. They were sparked off primarily by getting
rid of state monopoly in publishing and the emergence of private
publishers who mushroomed after 1989. About a third of the
private publishing houses is located in the country. State
publishing houses are independent business units and do not
receive subsidies but use state-owned facilities.

There is a continuous growth in published
titles, primarily due to the efforts of private publishers who
also introduced positive changes in the territorial distribution
of book publishing.

The weighted average of different books and
pamphlets in relation to total output changed. Also, the
original/translated titles ratio and the relative share of
translated titles from different languages changed.

A steady trend is in evidence, that of fiction
dominating the publishing business. It comes as a response to
reader demand for contemporary fiction by foreign authors. The
growth of children's and adolescent's books is also exhibited.
The relative share of titles and prints of general reading and
political literature is in reduction, while reference titles
increase their relative share.

As far as it concerns the trend of a changing
original/translated books ration in the overall body of books,
the share of translated books from English, French, German and
other languages increased while that of translated books from
Russian dropped.

5.2 Press

N/A

5.3 Broadcasting and sound recording industry

A Parliamentary commission on radio and
television was created in 1990, with the aim to propose
legislation and determine the country's policy in the field of
mass communication. Transitory provisions were adopted in 1990,
but the new legislation did not come into effect until 1991,
owing to political differences regarding the degree of autonomy
to be given to radio and television. The media are an object of a
lively political struggle, controversy and debate, and in such a
climate the credibility of the audio-visual media is low. There
is a strong tendency in the professional circles towards the
privatization of the audio-visual sector. The Concession Act was
adopted by the Parliament in 1995, providing the concessions for
numerous issues, among them also the radio-frequency spectrum,
and national postal and telecommunication networks.

Officially, the State television and radio
still enjoy a monopoly, although some 3,000 new local radio
stations have been created by the municipalities since 1990. 1991
saw a strong push towards the legalization of the private radio,
and more than 50 applications were received by the Committee for
Communication and Information. In 1992, more than 25 new radio
stations were licensed, 6 of them in Sofia.

Formerly broadcast on short-wave only, the
western radio stations (BBC, Voice of America, Radio Free Europe,
Deutsche Welle, and Radio France Internationale) can now be
broadcast on the medium wave.

The Bulgarian State television (created in
1959), with its three channels (BTV 1, BTV 2, and the third one
that broadcasts Russian programming) still enjoy a de jure
monopoly. They transmit 80 and 35 hours a week, respectively. The
first channel is of a general type, while the second is cultural
and educational. 61 per cent of programmes are domestically
produced, and 31 per cent are imported. The television system has
been tremendously altered in a couple of years. Now the citizens
of Sofia (about 1, 350 000 inhabitants) watch two national
television programmes, Channel One and Effir Two,
two private Bulgarian channels Nova Televisia (1994) and Sedem
Dni (1995), the Russian TV Ostankino, the French TV
5, and CNN. Dominant in the country are the state controlled Channel
One and Effir Two.

Percentages of domestic and imported TV
programmes broadcasted by the National TV channels

Origin of the
TV programmes

Channel 1

Effir 2

Bulgarian

73,6

50,9

Imported

26,4

49,1

T o t a l

100,0

100,0

The current developments in the audiovisual
industry tend to stratify the audiences in an unique way: since
the state controlled two channels slowly tend to lose some of
their audiences, the private channels are focussed at relatively
limited local consumers, and cannot grow beyond the scope of the
technological broadcast limits. Powerful foreign TV stations, and
the satellite TV channels diversify the national television
landscape, but their audience reach folows the current huge
income stratification in the country. Thus, the audiovisual reach
becomes a result of the economically determined social access to
modern technologies.

After 1989 the state lost its monopoly over the
production and marketing of audio-visual recordings. The
liberalisation of trade and the existence of a legal vacuum
cultivated "intellectual piracy" in the audio-visual
industry and market.

The Copyrights and Related Rights Act, adopted
in 1993, is a modern code that specifies legal relations in the
area of intellectual property, aspiring to European legal canon.
In 1995 the National Assembly ratified the International
Convention for the protection of performing artists, sound
recording producers and broadcasting organizations, and the
Convention on the Protection of Sound Recording Producers against
unlawful reproduction of their records.

5.4 Cinema and film industry

The video is estimated to have penetrated 27,6
% of households in 1994. Piracy is widespread, and steps are
currently being taken to counter it.

The prices of cultural products are sharply
rising, between 4 and 10 times. Bulgaria does not produce the
technology for film and television, or musical instruments. There
is a shortage also of materials such as cassettes, paper, paints,
metal, and most other necessities required by artists.

The production of books has dropped 10 times,
and of films four times. The Bulgarian film industry is facing
serious difficulties because of the lack of funds. State
subsidies are falling, and the market is not sufficient to uphold
this type of cultural creation. The public support for film
production is channelled through new institutions, like the
National Film Centre. An independent organization which promotes
the idea of privatization has been established, called
Independent Cinema.

Number of film production companies:

year

1986

1987

1988

1989

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

number

5

5

5

5

5

6

16

31

29

Source: European Audiovisual Observatory

The number of producers listed in the Unified
National Register exceeds 160. The freeing of personal initiative
has permitted a decentralisation of film production and its
relative preservation given the impossibility of supporting
full-cycle film production companies. But it must be stated that
many producer units are inactive while those which are or have
been active are unable to ensure continuity. A trend emerging in
the course of reform has been the weakness of film output
structures, none of which has succeeded in becoming established
as a lasting producer.

The sharp drop in cinema admissions is caused
by the economic crisis and the fall in living standards on the
one hand, and the development of pirate cable networks and
pirated videotapes on the other. Between 1986 and '91 viewers
dropped 4.2-fold. By 1993 the drop had grown to almost nine
times.

Table: Cinema admissions 1986-1994
/millions/

year

1986

1987

1988

1989

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

94.50

96.10

81.50

33.70

19.60

22.00

19.50

11.08

n.a.

11.4

Source: European Audiovisual Observatory,
cinema, television, video and new media in Europe

With the social changes under way, various new
creative multimedia projects are being initiated in Bulgaria.

6. CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT

Cultural activities in all areas of culture are
stagnating or declining, owing to the disappearance of the former
sources of state financing and the generally bad economic
position of the country. All this has caused a sharp drop in
cultural production. Opera production has fallen by 20 per cent,
and philharmonic and other musical performances by 40 per cent.
Audiences are also falling sharply, as is the reading of books.

The material and technical condition of the
cultural infrastructure is also bad. Museums, galleries and
libraries lack adequate space. Information is also scarce: owing
to financial difficulties, the National Library and other
scientific libraries are not able to subscribe to international
journals.

The lack of funds is closing down cultural
institutions, or reducing the capabilities of the existing
cultural infrastructure. Massive unemployment in the cultural
sector is causing emigration.

7. INTERNATIONAL CULTURAL COOPERATION

International cultural cooperation is the
responsibility of the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, ratifying the cultural agreements. The Ministry
of Culture supervises the application of those agreements and the
implementation of cultural programmes with the international
organizations. The cultural atttaches in Bulgarian consulates
come under the authority of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
while the cultural and information centres are attached to the
Ministry of Culture.

Bulgaria is a member of UNESCO and the Council
of Europe. It also has bilateral cooperation in the field of
culture. It has signed the European Cultural Convention and the
European Convention for the Protection of Cultural Heritage
(revised).

Final Report of the International Expert’s
Meeting ‘The East-West Migration after the Cold War: Cultural
and Educational aspects’, Bourgas, Bulgarian National
Commission for UNESCO and Institute of Culturology, 1995, 5 pp.

The World Almanac and Book of Facts 1997,
Mahwah, New Jersy, World Almanac Books, 1997

10. FOOTNOTES

* The author of the original draft is Zrinjka Perusko Culek. Additional data and information have been contributed by Bulgarian Institute of Culturology. The draft has been revised by Daniela Angelina Jelincic and Pavle Schramadei in 1997.

1. Figures according to The World Almanac and Book of Facts 1997 (see Sources).